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Sault College Presents First MNO Powley Electrical Award

Sara Ingram (left) receives the first MNO Powley Electrical Award from Kim Powley (right), the President of the MNO Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Council and daughter of Steve Powley

In 2008, the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) secured $25,000 from the Power Workers’ Union to be used for an academic award at Sault College named after Steve Powley, the Métis hero who had championed Métis harvesting rights at the Supreme Court of Canada. Sault College matched these funds and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities then matched the combined total funds contributed by PWU and the College.

These funds were then invested by Sault College to create an endowment, so, that interest from the funds could be used to create an annual award for Sault students. The MNO investigated what field the most Métis students were entering at Sault College and found that these were electrical programs. Based on this research it was determined that the award would go to a self-identifying Métis student registered in electrical programs at the College.

Earlier in 2012, the MNO Steve Powley Electrical Award was presented for the first time. The recipient was Sara Ingram who received $3500. The Award was presented by Kim Powley, the daughter of Steve Powley and the President of the MNO Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Council.